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TB863
'' |image= |caption= |designation=Supermarine Spitfire |version=LF Mk. XVIe |c/n=CBAF.10895 |firstflight= |lastflight= |featuredin=''Reach for the Sky.'' |fate= }} =History= This aircraft was built at Castle Bromwich with C/No CBAF10895 in early 1945 and delivered off contract to No.19 MU St Athan on 27th February, being transferred to No.84 Group Support Unit at Dunsfold on 7th March. It was allocated to No.453 squadron of 125 Wing, No.83 Group 2nd TAF on 22nd March1945. The unit was based at Matlaske at the time. The aircrafts first action was on the 24th March when, laden with two 250lb bombs and a long range belly tank, the aircraft headed a flight of four Spitfires for an armed reconnaissance; briefed to bomb rail targets in Utrecht/Hague/Leiden area. Crossing the Dutch coast at 10,000ft, the four spitfires positioned for dive bombing the railway lines, pilots observing only two clusters as near misses. TB863’s cannons were fired in anger for the first time during a strafing attack on a large railway coach by the four, claimed as probably destroyed, before returning to altitude. By 9:45 am the aircraft were back on the ground at Matlaske. The aircraft continued with these sorties including a mission flown on 30th March when Flt Lt Leith placed his bomb, under a rail bridge before strafing a road convoy suspected of including V2 transporters on the Harlem/Leiden road. The last offensive operational sortie flown by TB863 was on 25th April when the squadron provided target cover for Lancaster’s and Halifax’s bombing the seaplane base at Wangerooge Island. TB863 had flown twelve missions, mostly on rail interdiction, during its six weeks on operations; 23 hours 55 minutes in total. During the month of April it was to be found at Lympne, Kent, moving on to Hawkinge in May and being finally disbanded on 31st May. After the end of hostilities TB863 escorted Queen Wilhelmina on her return to Holland. 863 was transferred to No.183 (Gold Coast) squadron, possibly at Wunsdorf (B116) on 21st June 1945, but the squadron moved within days to Millfield and then Chilbolton, probably as a prelude to disbandment – and on 5th July 863 was allocated to 567 squadron. It was still with the unit according to the home census of aircraft on 21st March 1946, but on 20th June that year it moved to N0.691 squadron at Chivenor, where it was initially coded “5S-“. This squadron was renumbered as No.17 squadron at Chivenor on 11th February 1949 and No.17 was officially reformed on 1st March 1949. By this time TB863 had been issued with the squadron code letters UT-D, and for the 1950 SBAC Farnborough Air Show the squadrons aircraft were repainted to represent yellow-nose Messerschmitt Bf109’s, with the iron cross and swastika, but retaining their code letters. This was a re-enactment of the famous wartime precision bombing raid on Amiens prison by Mosquitos of No.487 squadron. 863 remained on squadron charge until 15th March 1951, when it was transferred to No.3 CAACU at Exeter, sustaining damage Cat.3R in a flying accident on 17th July that year. The damage was reclassified Cat.5S on 28th September and the aircraft struck off charge. On an unknown date the aircraft was sold to Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer, for use in the film Reach for the Sky, which was filmed at Kenley and Pinewood in the summer of 1955. It is thought that 863 was used for studio cockpit shots at Pinewood. Remarkably TB863 was placed in store in the props department at Pinewood Studios and re-emerged in 1967, but by this time minus engine and much of the cockpit structure. With the making of the film the Battle of Britain it was taken by road from Pinewood to Henlow on 8th January 1968, and was surveyed by Simpsons Aeroservices Ltd for possible use in the film. However, by this time the film unit had obtained enough flying and static aircraft and TB863 was used as a source of spares, its centre section fuselage spar being exchanged with that from Mk.Ia AR213, the latter having been damaged in dismantling at RAF Abingdon. The filming over, TB863 was acquired by A W Francis as part of his contract with the film company and transferred to the new owners home at Southend on 11th December 1968, when restoration commenced.http://www.sonsofdamien.co.uk/TB863.htm Displayed as Historic Aircraft Museum, Southend, 1972. Following restoration TB863 was acquired by J. Parkes & A.W. Francis, Booker, on 30 November 1982, and registered as G-CDAN. Owned by Stephen Grey/The Fighter Collection, at Duxford, 1984-1988, the aircraft passed Tim Wallis/Alpine Deer Group, Wanaka, NZ, in 1987. Flown at Duxford on 14 September 1988, TB863 was shipped to NZ, October 13, 1988. Tim Wallis/Alpine Fighter Collection, Wanaka, January 17, 1989-2002. Registered as ZK-XVI. Damaged during forced landing, Waipukarau, NZ, January 29, 1989. Repaired. Damaged during landing, Woodbourne, NZ, November 18, 1992. Repaired. Flew as TB863/'FU-P' (later TE863/'CC-R'). Temora Aviation Museum, Temora, NSW, Australia, April 2006-2014. Registered as VH-XVI.http://www.warbirdregistry.org/spitregistry/spitfire-tb863.html =Sources= Category:Supermarine Spitfire